What was the Japanese radio broadcast announcing acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration commonly called?

The Japanese radio broadcast was commonly called the Jewel Voice Broadcast.

The name refers to the Japanese term gyokuon hōsō, traditionally translated as “Jewel Voice Broadcast.” It describes Emperor Hirohito's recorded address to the Japanese people on August 15, 1945. The emperor announced that Japan had accepted the Allied terms set out in the Potsdam Declaration and would end the war.

The phrase “jewel voice” reflects the traditional elevated language used for an emperor's speech. Hirohito's formal Classical Japanese was difficult for many listeners to understand, and the poor sound quality of the recording added to the uncertainty. A national radio announcer explained afterward that the emperor's message meant Japan was surrendering.

The broadcast should not be confused with the formal surrender ceremony. The Jewel Voice Broadcast was a public announcement; the legal instrument was signed later aboard USS Missouri on September 2. The term became especially common in English-language accounts of Japan's final wartime days.